


Heart Of A Saint, Life Of A Sinner

by TheReginaMills



Series: OQ Angst Fest [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-24 17:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15635673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheReginaMills/pseuds/TheReginaMills
Summary: This is my Day 1 entry for OQ August Angst Fest! It uses prompts numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7! Hope you enjoy!





	Heart Of A Saint, Life Of A Sinner

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Day 1 entry for OQ August Angst Fest! It uses prompts numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7! Hope you enjoy!

“I thought you loved me.” Robin sat in Regina’s office, his voice a mere whisper as he spoke to the woman he loved. Tears slipped down Regina’s cheeks, betraying her stoic posture and cold face. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her eyes never leaving Robin’s. 

“Robin… I don’t - I don’t need you anymore. You’ve served your purpose and we - this thing between us - it’s over.” Regina pushed her chair away from her desk and stood. 

“Please don’t leave me, Regina. Whatever I did, I’ll fix it. Just give me a chance. Please?” Robin grabbed her wrist as she walked past him. “Please Regina. I’m begging you. Don’t do this to me.” Regina pulled her wrist out of his grasp. 

“I never meant to hurt you, Robin. But I can’t be with you. Not anymore. Please see yourself out of my office, I have to meet Henry for dinner.” Regina turned on her heel and exited her office, grabbing the black purse that sat near the door. 

Robin sat in the office for a long time after Regina had departed. When he finally left the building it had grown dark outside, the street lights had flickered on and the sidewalks were barren. He began walking, not knowing - or caring - where his feet were taking him. Sure, he and Regina hadn’t been together for a terribly long time, but he still felt that Regina was meant to be his. And he was meant to be hers. Funny how things don’t work that way. Several minutes later he found himself on Mifflin Street, looking down the road at the Mayoral Mansion. He could see the lights on through the sheer curtains of the bay window in the front of the house. A tear escaped his eye as he imagined Regina sitting at the table with Henry, laughing about some random happening at school that day. He couldn’t have been farther from the truth, however. 

OQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQ

Inside the mansion, Regina sat rigidly at the table, hardly even looking at Henry when he spoke. She had far too much on her mind to focus on what he was saying about Violet or whomever was his latest fancy. She couldn’t focus, not when she knew in 12 hours she would no longer exist in this realm. She’d made a deal with Hades: her life in exchange for the lives of everyone in Storybrooke. 

“Mom, is everything okay?” Henry reached over and grabbed her hand. She hadn’t realized it was shaking. 

“Yes, Henry. Sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind tonight.” She smiles at him. “What were you saying?” He eyed her warily but continued on with another story about school. She set her fork down and leaned back in the chair, her mind racing. 

Henry would be okay; he had Emma and Mary Margaret, David and heaven help them all, even Killian. Roland is too young to remember her for very long. She would miss him, though. Terribly. And Robin… poor Robin. She hoped he would understand, in time, why it had to be this way. She couldn’t have anyone try to stop her. It might work. She had to just go and trust that Hades would be true to his word. She chuckled to herself. Trusting Hades? Absurd. But if it meant sparing the life of her son and the lives of the people she’d come to know as family? Well, she had to believe it would work. 

Henry stood and took his plate and glass to the kitchen. Regina heard him rinsing them and sliding them into the dishwasher. Yes, he’d be just fine. He would grow into a fine man, find the love of his life. Maybe he’d even remember her with love from time to time. Come and place flowers on her grave. If they even buried her. If there was even anything left to bury. She still wasn’t certain how this would work. Henry returned to the dining room and kissed his mother on top of her head. 

“I’m going to go finish some homework and head to bed. I love you, mom.” He hugged her and she squeezed him a little tighter than usual. 

“I love you too, sweet boy.” She felt hot tears prickling in her eyes and quickly blinked them away. “Sleep well.” He smiled at her and left the dining room. She waited until she heard his door shut upstairs before letting herself cry. 

She stood and followed in Henry’s steps, rinsing and placing her dishes in the machine. After flicking the lights off in the kitchen and dining room, she walked to her study and sat at the large desk. Quickly she opened her drawer and grabbed several pieces of paper and a pen. She began by composing a letter to Henry. 

_My dearest Henry,_

_I am so sorry to leave you now. Please know that if I could have found another option, any other way to stay with you, I would have. It appears this is my end. Hades has promised the safety of you and all of Storybrooke in return for my life. Please don’t blame yourself and please don’t hate me. It had to be done. I’m a villain, after all, and villains don’t get happy endings. At least this way I know you’ll be safe. Be good for Emma and her stupid pirate. Mary Margaret and David will always be there for you. I know they can get to be a lot, but they will never let you down. Promise me that when you look back and remember me, it will be with love, okay? I love you so much, my sweet boy. It pains me greatly to know I will never see you fall in love or get married, or see your children. But always remember that I’m in your heart so long as you don’t forget me._

_I’m so proud of who you’ve become._

_Mom_

Regina could feel the tears streaming down her face and plopping onto the desk. She folded the paper neatly and slid it into an envelope. After sealing it shut, she flipped it over and scrawled Henry on the front and placed it to the side. Grabbing another piece of paper, she took a shuddering breath and began writing again. 

_My beloved Robin,_

_I wish it hadn’t had to end the way it did. You must understand that I couldn’t have you trying to talk me out of my decision because it would’ve worked. I would do anything to stay here with you and Henry and Roland. But there’s nothing to be done. By the time you read this, Hades will have taken my life. He has promised me the safety of Storybrooke in exchange for my life. Otherwise he would’ve obliterated all of us. I couldn’t let that happen. I tried everything, Robin. Nothing I did was enough. If I must give my life to spare everyone else, so be it. I’ll finally have done something good. Promise me that you will find love again. You’re such a kind soul. Our story may have been cut short, but Robin, it was such an epic one. You will always be the love of my life. Always. Please give your love to another. It can only be good for you._

_I’ll love you always,_

_Regina_

She repeated the process over and over until she’d written a note to everyone she loved. Bleary eyed and exhausted, she looked at the clock. She had two hours to deliver the notes and meet Hades in her office. 

First, she left the note for Henry in the kitchen. His stomach would lead him there first thing in the morning. She left Emma’s in the windshield wiper of her yellow metal death trap. Mary Margaret and David’s went in their mailbox (what’s one more use of the skeleton key, right?). She crept up to Robin’s camp and placed his outside the tent he called home. No matter how many times she offered her place, he insisted that the forest was where he belonged. She rolled her eyes softly at the memory before creeping out of the encampment. With tears in her eyes and a sad and heavy heart, Regina made her way to her office for the last time. 

OQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQ

Robin woke with a start as he heard a branch snap on the forest floor. He was quickly up and alert and making his way out of the tent when he stepped on the envelope Regina had left. He recognized the loopy handwriting immediately and tore it open. Tears filled his eyes as he read the letter, shaking his head at the impossible woman who’d left it. He quickly grabbed his cloak and woke Will, rushing to explain the situation before dashing off toward the heart of Storybrooke. 

OQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQOQ

Regina entered her office and was almost immediately joined by Hades, the silvery blue cloud of magic dissipating to reveal the snake of a man. 

“I must say, Regina. I didn’t think you’d actually show.” He toyed with the sharp object in his hand. It was something Regina had never seen before. 

“I have to protect my family. If that means my death, then so be it.” She held her head high, defiant even in her last moments. Hades twirled the object in his hand and chuckled, circling Regina slowly. 

“You always were such a strong woman. It will give me great joy to be the one that brings you down.” Hades noticed Regina staring at the object in his hand. “Oh! You must be wondering what this is.” He gave it another twirl. “This… this is the Olympian Crystal. Do you know what it does, Regina?”

“I can’t say that I do, Hades.” She narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Well, my dear Regina, one little poke from this, and you will be erased from existence. Gone, just like that. Fun, isn’t it?” He laughed and lunged at her just as Robin skidded into the room. 

“Regina, no!” Robin screamed as Regina felt the cool tip of the crystal hit her abdomen. 

She reached a hand out to Robin. Or at least she thought she did. Looking down she noticed she could see through her hand, and that her body was crumpled on the floor. 

“I love you.” She whispered to Robin, who had tears in his eyes. He leaned down and touched her shoulder. Her body turned to ash at the contact and her ghostly form began to disappear. 

“I love you, too.”


End file.
